When THQ announced “WWE Legends of WrestleMania” last year, I literally jumped out of my office chair in a fit of uncontrollable excitement. The company finally decided to produce my dream game: a title based on the wrestling culture of the 1980s and 1990s. Surely it was destined to be the greatest grappler ever created.

After a lengthy and particularly excruciating wait, the game is finally available for mass consumption. Is “Legends of WrestleMania” the total package, or does it fall short of greatness?

“Legends of WrestleMania” is a giant love letter to longtime wrestling fans. As soon as the title screen loads, you are treated to a classic entrance theme. Honestly, it is hard not to smile when “Real American” starts pumping out of your television. If you don’t like the song the game selects, then you can hit L3 to switch to another. This isn’t a novel feature, but it is always good to find the right song to put you in the fighting mood. “Piledriver” really gets my blood pumping.

The roster of icons is quite impressive. Kudos to those involved in the selection process. If I had names and addresses, I would send homemade cookies. There are a few notable omissions – Ricky Steamboat, Owen Hart, Earthquake – but I really can’t argue against any of the picks. Obvious selections like Hulk Hogan and The Rock are there, but there are a few surprises, including Koko B. Ware, Kamala and Bam Bam Bigelow. What’s more, if you can’t bear the thought of a wrestling game sans John Cena, then you can import a large portion of the “WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009″ roster to “Legends of WrestleMania.” It is nice to see some connectivity between the two titles, especially since the feature more than doubles the head count in the latter.

Unfortunately, once you look past the historic fluff, THQ’s latest brawler doesn’t have much to offer.

“Legends of WrestleMania” introduces a new, more accessible fighting system to the genre. Unlike in recent “SmackDown vs. Raw” titles, you can’t injure a specific area of an adversary’s body. You simply have to wear them down and finish them off. If a wrestler is in the red, he will submit to a basic submission hold upon first application.

For some reason, the developers morphed the familiar momentum meter into an unnecessary system of levels. Instead of filling one big meter, you have to fill two smaller ones. Each meter is considered a level; a finisher is awarded at level 3. The system does prevent you from using your most powerful moves right away, but there are better ways to prevent that from happening. For instance, the game could feature exceptional artificial intelligence. The single momentum bar might not be shiny and new, but it is simple and familiar.

As in most other modern wrestling games, you build momentum by performing grapples and landing strikes. Of particular importance is the chain struggle, a simple quick time event initiated once you grapple a groggy opponent. This interactive sequence allows you to execute a series of moves with minimal effort. I don’t really have a problem with the QTEs, but they do pop up quite often, which might irk a genre veteran.

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